Chicken Tortellini

Chicken Spinach Tortellini

So in the never-ending quest to learn how to make pasta properly (my pasta is consistently too wet) there comes a time to learn more shapes than ribbon and ravioli (two ribbons) So my first time making tortellini from scratch. Went smoother than expected....

Ingredients
-Fresh Pasta
-

Creation

So first the filling. I shredded chicken with spinach and wine. Made way to much... as usual.

Too much tasty.

Now its time for the pasta. Same as for making ravioli. Needs to be rolled out thinner than usual. Not sure if I got it thin enough.. however the process to for making then is amatuerly photographed as follows.

Step 1. Fill.

Step 2. Fold.

Step 3. Pinch

Step 4. Pinch again

Step 5. Admire

Now its time to make a sauce. Since my chicken was purposely made a little briney, I made the sauce with a tiny bit of chicken , cream and mozzarella.

Very creamy... couldn't be cause of the cream...

And that is that boil, toss... cook through... and serve. Now in hindsight using the filling as the sauce base will make the dish one-dimensional so next time I have a plan. 

Also don't forget if you make too much, either on purpose or accidentally, just freeze it. Fresh pasta stores well in freezer for a couple weeks... that way you can pop it out and make...

A Pollock Dish

Pollock over Rice

Experimenting with Pollock. Its a firm whitefish and I vaguely remember a shark recipe (which I'm vigorously still searching for) that steamed shark over vegetables. So this is my vague version of it.. plus rice.

Ingredients
-Pollock Filet
-Green Pepper Roasted
-Serrano Pepper Roasted
-Onion
-Rice

Creation
This is probably the best type of cooking. Just going with what you have and an idea.

This is what I have... plus some tomatoes

So lets get cookin'. Fish was marinated in essentially a lemon vinaigrette, oil and lemon juice. The green peppers were roasted and... 

everything else in the pan. 

Then add the canned tomatoes. At this point get the fish in the oven. I know right? No saute... can't do everything in a pan.

Reducing the tomato juice.

 Oh yeah, the rice. Make some. Or have some ready. My timing is excellent I know. I believe that is it. Rice, Tomatoes, Pollock, and Peppers.

 Mmmmm

The rice was well.. rice. The tomatoes were spicy, the fish was acidic, and the roasted peppers sweet. Balance in...

Cake Mix Cookies

Various Cake Mix Cookies

Cake mix cookies! Now I'm not a baker, as you can probably tell, haven't even used an oven yet. However, these I love to make cause they are so simple, yet so sweet, and delicious. Plus, they can be varied so much!

Ingredients
-Package Dry Cake mix
-2 large eggs
-1/3 - 1/2 cup of oil

Creation

Making these is also very easy. "But there are so few ingredients how could it not be?" Well not everything is that easy... Cantonese Noodles comes to mind.. they are just flour and water. I know right? So yes it is easy. One bowl... or two in my case.

Eggs and too much oil... 

Just crack some eggs and miss with the oil. Its best to mix these before adding the dry. I mean you can... if your just awesome like that.

Batches are your friend.

Yeah batches. I usually do two or three. It begins to get tough at the end. Time to work with the hands!

This is about when I'm eating the dough. 

Yes I always eat the dough, lick the spoon, taste the batter. I am a horrible person to have in the kitchen with you... (I get kicked out a lot)

A little more loose than I expected...

It was about this time I checked the package size. I'm used to the 18 ans 3/4 oz box... apparently this was a 16 oz. So instead of rolling these into balls they have become drop cookies.

Sigh....

I didn't take anymore pictures of this batch, but they were good and they didn't run. So after re-cooperating by eating all those cookies I made a second batch using Yellow Cake Mix and slightly less than 1/3 cup of oil this makes the dough dry.

Looks very dry right?

Yeah I prefer to roll them out by hand I need nice looking uniform cookies!

Crinkly and chewy. Just like I wanted.

And I made one more batch using red velvet. Different flavor give different consistencies.

Looks less dry than the last batch.

Oh and I don't use all the cake mix. No need to force it all in there and make it way to dry.

Mmmm.. apparently these are better than the last..

And that is how I learned to bake really... making these all the time... gotta start from somewhere with...

Lemon Custard Pie

Lemon Custard Pie

Yes I love custard pie and now I'm making variations on it.. what!? Funny thing is I found a recipe for Apple Pie but still went back to the custard. Just cause it is just awesome. This one I just made on a whim. No measurements again so I shall do my best to step through this one.

Ingredients
-4 Eggs
-2 Lemons
-3/4 Cup of Sugar
~2 Cups of Milk
-Unbaked Pie Crust

Creation

Now to remember this. I think I got all the measurements right. First of all take on egg and separate it. The whites are used to 'grease' the pie shell. The yolk just gets thrown with the other eggs. So in a bowl we have 3.5 eggs.

It will be strained... stupid eggs

Add the milk, juice of the lemons and sugar and whisk. This will be strained because there always seems to be something that wont dissolve all the way.

Oooo.. shiny

The pie shell is brushed with the egg whites to keep it dry and then the strained mixture is poured in. 400 degrees for about 30min. Check when needed. You should know the drill.. stab your pie with a knife. Or since this is pie will poof could just wait till the middle poofs... but its not a clear cut as stabbing it.

Cooked tastyness

Oh the first slice of pie. Who really gives away the first slice... really?..

Half this pie was stolen the next day... seriously

Its just so hard to give away the first slice of...

Red Lasagna

Lasagna made with Red Sauce

This is my first ever lasagna. I know right? It is about time and let me tell you.. definitely getting thrown in rotation. Red Sauce goes so well with it... I mean what doesn't it go with? (Chocochip Cookie Dough Omelet) and it has a few ingredients. But it is a bit time consuming...

Ingredients
-Basic Red Sauce
-Fresh Pasta
-Ricotta Cheese
-Parmesan

Creation

Only four ingredients? Well the Basic red Sauce was made with a bunch... Diced Tomatoes, Pork Sausage, Parsley, Onion, Garlic, Wine, Sugar, Vinegar. I think that it. Pretty much Red Sauce with the only veges being green and sweet onions. Pasta was just egg and flour. No oil this time. sadly I didn't take any pictures until after it was done.

Didn't know golden brown edges also referred to lasagna

However I make a two layer lasagna. Two layers of pasta that is. Take the casserole dish and a thin layer of the sauce goes down. Then a layer of fresh uncooked pasta. Just roll it and lay it. Next the sauce again topped with a bunch of ricotta cheese and Parmesan. Another layer of pasta topped with the remaining sauce and then Parm. 375 for like an hr or less.

I don't need those unnecessary layers here.

Now I heard lasagna always taste better the next day, but I just made this. So tasting will be done... and now my mouth is burnt. Note to readers: Do not take a lasagna that has been in the oven for an hr at 375, cut a slice and eat. Regret will be had.

Its all about the Ricotta cheese

The next day. The flavors melded a little more and the lasagna can hold its form better... but man was this...

Orange Pork

Orange Pork

So a little while ago I made some Orange Chicken... my way. Chinese Orange Chicken is made spicy and just cooked with orange peel and dried peppers. I decided (because I have an inner calling for sweet food) to reduce orange juice then make a simple syrup out of that. Then glaze the chicken... and the results were wonderful, just needed more glaze. Then I had chicken 3 times after that. So for the blog I do Orange Pork

Ingredients
-Boneless Pork (Diced)
-Orange Juice
-Onions
-Serrano Peppers
-Teriyaki Sauce
-Oil for frying
-Sugar

Creation

So first of all the pork must be marinated. The chicken I used Soy Sauce. So time to try something a little sweeter. So Teriyaki Sauce, Oil, and Salt. Get that going cause the thing that is going to take the longest is actually the orange juice reduction and in the reduction finely dice a small onion and julienne a couple Serrano peppers. Yeah they're spicy but after being in the reduction for such a long time tones them down.

The foam can be either skimmed or wisked

That's right I spent the most time on the reduction. Making sure it doesn't get to reduced. Burning orange juice is terrible. I've done it on multiple occasions. Matter of fact I've burnt many of things... like a chocolate chip cookie dough omelet. WORST COOKING DECISION EVER.

Reduced and infused with peppers

Add some sugar and it becomes a syrup. So yeah. While that is getting done lightly flour the pork and get it fried. Any way want. I deep fried. Pan-frying is also an option. Aim for a little less than just under-done cause they will be cooked slightly more in the glaze.

Now if you don't mix it up people will be unhappy...

Toss in the glaze but I like to let them set for a little bit, because the flour will soften a bit and thicken the glaze even more.

Looks a little dark? All depends on how you fry it.

Yeah serve...

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

I'm not even sure what compelled me to make these. I'm not a fan of cooked cabbage... but I must broaden those horizons. Plus they are so easy to make, then I found out they are stuffed with meat, rice and served with a sauce. I'm down!

Ingredients
-Cabbage... no way
-Ground meat
-Cooked Rice
-Jalapeno
-Egg
-Milk
-Tomato Sauce

Creation

So cabbage rolls. Yes some of the ingredients are vague they will be explained. Hakuna Matata.

I use beef and jalapenos

So cabbage rolls can be filled with an assortment of ground meat. I use beef but you can also use lamb or pork. In the bottom is some chopped onion and milk. I guess that's about a quarter.. half a cup.

Mixing it up

After that one egg and about a cup of cooked rice it added and then it is all mixed up and left to rest. Doesn't need to rest, but a sauce needs to be made.

This is the making of another ketchup/jelly sauce. (blurry... I know)

A tomato is normally used. I decided to make a sauce like the one in the Potstickers dish, just cause I could? I wanted something a little sweet. 

Tastiest mush ever!

Yeah the cabbage... needs to be boiled... and I did it the wrong way. Attempting to pull off each leaf to boil. Apparently you can either freeze it as that makes it soft or boil the whole head as they will indeed make it soft enough to roll without tearing. Still have yet to try those.. maybe I'll do a Asian version with napa cabbage and pork.. hmmm

Rolled and sitting in their sauce.

To roll start from the bottom. Tuck the ends in. Continue rolling. Nothing special with the rolling techniques here. Ready for the oven! Cover first. Doesn't matter what with.

Looking good.

See that black part over there? That's why you don't let the aluminum foil touch the cabbage. Can be remedied by adding another layer of cabbage. so you don't burn the good stuff.

Plated.

I don't cover in the sauce cause I think it looks better this way. I know right.

Yes it is cooked.. an oddly a light dish.

Made five of these for three people. There was no seconds.... it was claimed to be oddly not as filling as expected... but that's normally what happens when you make..